Clutch



Feb. 24, 1948. w. G. WEHR 2,435,625

CLUTCH Original Filed April 21, -1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q N I k'i ll:

- INVENTOR.

Feb. 24, 1948. w. G. WE-HR 2,436,625

CLUTCH I Original Filed April 21, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 g B MAL/14M 6, 14/5/12 Feb. 24, 1948. w, WEHR 2,436,625

CLUTCH Original Filed April 21 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 5 IINVENTOIR.

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CLUTCH 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 3% MW M m W M w m #5 W, W 6 M rfm i M g j h 3 W i: 1 m z: I 3 E 5 W rm. v 0 s 4 .7 6 MN m 9 9 9 n0 6 w 9 5 v 7 1% 2 m .k w &7 J v g 0 8 i. m mm: 3 0 W E: 1

Patented Feb. 24, 1948 2,436,625 CLUTCH William G. Wehr, North Madison, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Crane & Engineering Company, Wickliffe, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application April 21, 1944, Serial No.

532,078. Divided and this application December 29, 1945, Serial No. 638,245

The present invention relates to machine tools and, more particularly, to power-operated, heavy duty shears and the like and to a friction clutch for use with such machines.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved, power operated, heavy duty shears of the general type employed in shops engaged in fabricating metal plates and the like having a movable ram actuated by pitmans connected to a crankshaft, and means including a friction clutch for operatively connecting the crankshaft with a power actuator.

Another object of the invention is-the provision of a novel and improved friction clutch particularly adapted for use with shears, bending brakes, presses and the like, which are repeatedly stopped it a predetermined point in their cycle of operaion.

The invention resides in certain constructions and combinations and arrangements of parts, and further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following description of the preferred embodiment described with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation-a1 view of a power operated, heavy duty shears embodying the present invention; v

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the shears shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the shears shown in Fig. 1, looking from the right;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a sectional view approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is asectional view, with portions-in elevation, approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig.3.

This application isa division of my .copending application Serial No. 532,078, filed April 21, 1944, now Patent No. 2,397,896, and only those parts of the-shears shown and described in said application which arenecessary to a complete understanding of thepresent invention are herein shown and described indetail. Reference to the aforesaid application is made for a complete showing and description of those parts of the shears not fully, shown and described herein.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character A designates a frame comprising stressresisting, plate-like-end members or .side housings l0, li'having..a1igned openings 12, vl3, re-

3 Claims. (Cl. 192-22) 2 spectively, in their front edges; a crown l4; and a bed comprising plate-like members l5, l6 and H, the latterpf which forms a-scrap chute.

The vertical plate-like member 15 is located immediately to the rear of and. welded to the horizontal plate-like member H5, which member in addition to reinforcing the upper edge of the member 15, forms a support or work table for the work.- The upper member or crown M is generally box-shaped in cross-section and the opposite ends thereof are welded to the side members I0, I l adjacent to their front upper edges. Web members 20, 2t, 22 welded to the interior of the member l4 reinforce the same. The lower ends of the web members 20, 2i extend below the rear side of the member M and form a support for a crankshaft 23. The shearing operation is performed by a stationary shearing knife 25 located in the cut-out portion at the upper rear corner of the bed and a movable shearing knife 25 connected to the lower front edge of a movable ram or leaf, designated generally by the reference character B. The movable ram or upper blade B is of built-up construction and comprises a longitudinally extending, front plate 26 welded to rearwar-dly projecting end members 21, 28, the rear ends of which are rotatably connected to short, shaft-like members 30, 3| rotatable in suitable apertures inthe side housings 10, II, respectively,

for pivotal movement about axes eccentric to the axes about which the end members 21, 28 are connected thereto.

The front plate 26 of the blade B is inclined at a slight angle to the vertical, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide clearance between the ram or blade B and the stationary knife when the blade is moved in a downwardly direction. The lower front edge of the plate 26 is cut out to receive the shearing knife 25 which is held in position therein by a plurality of screws 32 projecting therethrough and threaded into suitably tapped apertures adjacent to the lower edge of the plate 26. The heads of the screws 32 are located in a groove in the front face of the shearing knife and are countersunk so as not to interfere with the operation of the device.

The front end of the ram or movable blade-.B is supported and theentire assembly adapted to be oscillated about the shafts 3%, 3! by pitmans 35, 36 including eccentrics 3?, only one of which is shown in the drawings. The upper ends of the pitmans are operatively connected to eccentrics 40, 4| keyed to the crankshaft 23 and the lower ends of the pitmans to short shafts 43, M fixed in opposite'en'ds of the. blade-B. The construction ative to the pitmans by a shaft 45 rotatably supported in suitable apertures in the pitmans. Opposite ends of the shaft 45 are provided with small gears 46, 4'! adjustably. secured thereto, as

by thumb screws, which ears are continuously in mesh with small gears 50,. 5] formed integral with the eccentrics 31. Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the sh'aft45. This adjustment provides means for convertingthe .ma-

chine from through shears to splitting shears or 4 operating member 83. The brake operating member 83 is similar to the clutch operating member and the construction is such that when the clutch C is disengaged by movement of the rod 11 toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, a disk-type brake, designatedgenerally as 84, is

appliedby the member 83'.

The construction of the two-part yoke member 82 is such to permit limited movement of the rod 71 after the brake 84 is applied. The particular construction employed also permits the force with which the brake is applied to be readily regulated. Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 5, the. lower part. 85 of the yoke 82 is pivotally connected to the upper part by a pin 86. Rotation of the part 85 about its pivot 86 in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in Fig. 5, is limited by vice versa. In the preferred embodiment shown,

the weight of the movable blade assembly B is counterbalanced by adjustable compression springs, one. at. either end. of the. ram, located within the tubular. members 52, 53 fixed to the crown member l4.

The crankshaft 2.3 is rotatably. supported in bearings 54, 55 detachably bolted to the lower ends of the. webmembers 20, 2| and by a bearing 56: where it projectsthrough the side housing [0. The crankshaft is adapted tobe driven by an electric motor 60 adjustably bolted to plates 6|, 52 welded to the crown. member l4. Therotor shaft of, the motor .60- is connected bya flexible drive connection, designated generallyas 63, to'a wheel 64, fixed to a. flywheel 65 rotatably supported on a shaft 66, whichshaft is inturn rotatably supported in suitable. bearings fixed to the side-housing I0 and to a: plate 61-. spaced therefrom but connected thereto by an irregularlyshaped plate 68 interposed therebetween andthe side; housing l0. The-plates just. mentioned form an enclosure or compartment on the. outside of the-side housing 10 whichhouses mechanism including a pinion gear 69- keyed' to the shaft- 68 and in mesh. with; alarge gear 10 keyed to the end of the crankshaft 23; The compartment formedby the members, I0, 61 and68is closed by a. removable cover H: bolted to-the top thereof. A' removable member 12 on the plate 61 affords .accessfto theendof the crankshaft 23.-

The flywheel;fi5piszadapted=tobe connected with and 'disconnect'edfrom'the shaft 66. by afriction disk clutch, designated generallyby the reference .chuacter C. The driving member 13 of. the clutch is adapted to be clamped between relatively moyabie driven members. 74 bya clutch operating member l5islidably'supported on the left-hand end of. the shaft, 6.6,,see. Fig. 4, and adapted to bereciprocated therealong by a yoke member 161 fixed to; the left-hand. end of arcd 'lFLseeFlg. 5.. The. rod Tl is slidably supported by a tubularmember' 1,8 vfixedina suitable aperture-inthex-member Ill. and byaflisk-likemerhber l9; fixed in a; suitable aperturein the plate:v 67 and is;continuously= urged tuwardtheright, as viewed. Fig. 5, that is, in a direction to engage the clutch C by a compression spring 80 surrounding the same. and;located within the tubular member; f8. The, left-handv end of. the compression spring 80 engages the closed end of the tubular member [8 and the other end thereof engages: a collar 8| detachab'ly'connected'to' the rod H.

The opposite, or right-handv end of. the rod. 1.! is provided with a two-part yoke: member: 82, thelower: endof whiclris connected. touabrake 'a' cross member 87 and the two parts are normally held in engaged position by a compression spring 88 surrounding a bolt 90 projecting through aligned apertures in the cross. member 81 and in the lower end of. the upper part of the yokemember. -The. compression spring 88 is interposed between the. head of the bolt 9il-and the lower end of the. upper part 9| of the yoke member 82. The construction is such that coni tinued. movement of. the rod 11 after the brake is applied causes a-slight rotation of the member 85 about its pivot 86 against the action of the spring 88, which spring in turn. controlstheforce with which the brake. is applied. This force can be readily varied bychanging the efiective length of the bolt 90.

The rod 11 is adapted to beshifted towardthe right, as viewed in Fig. 5, to releasethe brake 84 and engage the clutch C. by a cam 92..fixed to the hub of the gear 10, which cam is adapted to reciprocate ,a bar 93 slidably supported between the; plate 61. and a bracketfld: bolted thereto. The lower or left-hand end 'of the bar 93, as viewedin Fig. 3,. is provided with a roller 95 which engages the cam 92 and the right-hand end thereof is pivotally connected to a member 96 for rotation about a horizontal axis.. The member .96 is-in turn pivotallyconnected. to one arm of the bell crank lever il'lfor movement about a more or'less vertical axis. The bell crank lever 91 is pivotally connected to a. bracket 98 fixed to-the member ID and theother arm I08 thereof is pivotally connected to, the rod 11. The con struction'is such that reciprocation of therod 93 produces linear. movement of the rod ll and vice versa.

Normally, the roller 95 on the-lower end of the bar 93 rides on the high part of the cam 92 and maintains therod H in its. lefts-hand position, as viewed in Fig. 5, with the clutch. l3 disengaged andthebralretdapplieol. The. roller 95 is adapted to be moved in a downward direction away from the high part-.of. theJcam SZby a. roller l8! carried by one arm of abellcranklever. m2 pivotally connected to. the; bracket 94, the. other arm of which is; pivotally connected to. alink. 403,01 eratively connected. by a. pluralitmof; bellrrank levers: and. links to: a-treadle. I04. carried on ;a hexagonal shaft I05: extending. along their ont; of themachine underneath, the member'l 6:andadjacenttothe floor. The treadle is slidable along the-shaft M5. so thatzit canbe movedtoany convenient location; along. the: front. of. the. shears. As shown, the mechanisnrforconnecting the link 1133-. with-the: shaft comprises a; bell crank lever I06 pivotally connected". to: the member ID adjacent to, the. top; thereof to. which lever: the

link [03; is connected; a link; lil8..pivotally con;-

.5 nected to the bell crank lever I06 and to a bell crank lever III! connected to the end housing Iii near the floor, and a link III connected to the bell crank lever I III and to a lever I I2 fixed to the end of the shaft I05; however, any suitable alternative construction may be employed. The roller I9I engages within a groove I I3 in the upper side of the bar 93 and the bar 93 is yieldably urged into engagement therewith by a compression spring IIII surrounding a rod II 5 pivotally connected to the bar 93 and projecting through the upper side of the bracket 94. The compression spring H4 is interposed between the bracket 94 and an adjustable nut on the upper end of the rod II5.

The construction of the mechanism just described is such that when the treadle I 84 is depressed, the bell crank lever I02 is rotated about its pivot in a counterclockwise direction, forcing the bar 93 downward until the roller 95 rides off the high part of the cam 92, whereupon the bar 93 and in turn the rod I! are moved by the spring 80 in a direction to disengage the brake 84% and engage the clutch 13. The engagement of the clutch 73 causes the shaft 66 to rotate which in turn rotates the crankshaft 23, oscillating the movable blade B. The crankshaft is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, and immediately upon the high part of the cam 92 moving away from the roller 95, the bar 93 returns to its normal upper position under the action of the spring I I4. As the crankshaft completes one revolution, the roller 95 travels up the high part of the cam, shifting the bar 93 and the rod 'II against the action of the spring 80 to a position where the clutch C is disengaged and the brake 84 engaged, thus one complete oscillation of the movable blade B is automatically effected each time the treadle I04 is depressed and immediately released.

The shears, as shown, are also preferably provided with a plurality of spring-loaded, holddown devices I20 detachably connected to the lower edge of a hold-down plate I2 I, opposite ends of which are suspended from the forward arms of bell crank levers I22, I23 pivotally supported on short shafts carried by the plates 20, 2I. The rear arms of the bell crank levers referred to are provided with rollers which engage suitable cams I24 formed integral with the eccentrics t0, 4|. The bell crank levers I22, I23 are continuously urged in a direction to engage the rollers thereof with the cams I24 by suitable spring means I25. Opposite ends of the hold-down plate I2I are pivotally connected to the members I0, I I by links I26 pivotally connected to the hold-down plate I2I and to the members I0, II.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the objects of the invention heretofore enumerated and others have been accomplished, and that there has been provided a novel and improved friction clutch particularly adapted for use with power-operated shears and the like which are repeatedly stopped at a predetermined point in their cycle of operation. While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, the invention is not limited to the particular construction shown and it is my intention to hereby cover all adaptations, modifications and uses thereof which come wi'hin the practice of those skilled in the art to which the invention relates and within the scope of the appended claims,

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a metal working machine, the combination with a crankshaft rotatably supported in a frame of: means including a clutch for rotating the crankshaft; a member slidably and rotatably supported in the frame and operatively connected to said clutch for moving said clutch into disengaged position; a cam operated in timed relation with the rotation of said crankshaft and having a high point for moving said member in a direction to disengage said clutch; means for rotating said member to move the same free of the high point of said cam; and yieldable means for continuously urging said member into a position where it will be acted upon by said cam.

2. In a metal workin machine, the combination with a crankshaft rotatably supported in a frame of: means including a clutch for rotating the crankshaft; a member slidably and rotatably supported in the frame and operatively connected to said clutch for moving said clutch into disengaged position; means for continuously urging said clutch into engaged position; a cam operated in timed relation with the rotation of said crankshaft and having a high point for moving said member in a direction to disengage said clutch; means for rotating said member to move the same free of the high point of said cam; and yieldable means for continuously urging said member into a position where it will be acted upon by said cam.

3. In a metal Working machine, the combination with a crankshaft rotatably supported in a frame of means including a friction clutch for rotating the crankshaft; a member slidably and rotatably supported in the frame and operatively connected to said clutch for moving said clutch into disengaged position; means for continuously urging said clutch into engaged position; a cam operated in timed relation with the rotation of said crankshaft and having a high point for moving said member. in a direction to disengage said clutch; means for rotating said member to move the same free of the high point of said cam; and yieldable means for continuously urging said member into a position where it will be acted upon by said cam.

WILLIAM G. WEHR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 823,085 Taylor June 12, 1906 1,322,534 Candee Nov. 25, 1919 1,532,116 Batchelder Apr. 7, 1925 

